Impact of economic reforms on rural employment in India

Indian economy along with its various sectors has experienced a series of economic reforms since July 1991. The reform process has attracted the attention of economists, planners, policy makers, academics and technocrats alike, both in India and outside. Since the onset of economic reforms, there is a general concern, particularly among the researchers and policy makers, about how the reforms have affected the country's growth, development and ultimately the standard of living of its countrymen. The present paper studies the changing trends in employment and unemployment in India more particularly since the onset of economic reforms. The results of the study are based on NSSO data on employment and unemployment for various years. Within the secondary sector, construction activities registered substantial growth both in terms of income and employment generation since the introduction of economic reforms. Whereas, among the major services transport, storage, communication, financing, insurance, real estate and business services have recorded significant employment growth since 1990s.